1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of alarms, and more particularly to a microprocessor controlled alarm having commercially significant improvements.
2. Background Art
Alarms are used on mobile machinery and vehicles to warn persons of the danger they may present. Such machinery is used in construction, mining, industrial, and warehouse applications, for instance. Some alarms are sounded only when the vehicle is backed up. An operator of such machinery, such as a fork lift, back hoe, crawler, etc., is subject to the noise of the alarm. Conventional alarms have no particular protection for the operator from intense sound. As a consequence, alarms are often disabled by operators so as to alleviate themselves of the discomfort caused by the noise.
As can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 7,245,226, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and the cited references, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse alarms. Some examples can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,136 by Atkinson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,085 by Munson et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,317 by Gailbreath, et al.
While all the aforementioned prior art constructions are adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they may be made more commercially appealing by the addition of various features.
There exists a need for new and improved integrated microprocessor controlled alarms and the provision of any and all such construction is a stated objective of the present invention.